New England Violins

Paul remains committed to assisting musicians in their search for instruments of the highest quality possible within all budget levels – from the budding young artist to the seasoned professional.

One of Paul Dulude's capabilities that often contributes to a successful instrument search is his knowledge of the practice of tonal adjustment.

Paul learned this art from his former teacher and mentor, Mr. Joseph Pietropaulo, a well-known violist who played in the BSO for 37 years. (Pietropaulo himself

learned this technique from the great cellist and luthier Frank Tulli).

Using intonation as the primary auditory metric of this system, Paul has developed a facility for balancing the relationship between the sound-post and bridge to the instrument.

Instruments that have this optimal balance produce a big, smooth sound; they have more sustain and reveal a broad, pleasing

tonal palate. The instrument's "voice" has a free, singing quality.

Some players Paul has worked with have discovered that their own instruments were so deficient in this area that compensating for its adjustment and set-up issues was causing tendinitis!

Over the years, Paul has become a highly-regarded practitioner of this art both in the United States and Europe.

Musicians worldwide have marveled at his ability to bring out and open the voice of their instruments.

Personal History

Paul Albert Dulude, a native of the Bay State, began his musical studies at the age of nine. He was a pupil in the Attleboro public schools and was initially a violin, later a viola, student of the late Louis Ruggeri.

After graduation from high school, Paul enrolled in the Music Performance program at the University of Lowell and became a student of Joseph Pietropaolo. He graduated from Lowell with his Bachelor of Music degree in 1981

He applied for and was accepted into the graduate program at Lowell with a position as Teaching Assistant. At this time, he was a student of Mr. George Neikrug.

In 1984, Paul accepted a position as violist with the Mexico City Philharmonic Orchestra.

Apart from the position with the Philharmonic, Paul also played with two additional orchestras, working as substitute principal viola for the State of Mexico Symphony, and as principal and solo violist for a professional chamber orchestra sponsored by the University of Mexico.

Paul returned to the Boston area in 1988 and completed his M.M. in Viola Performance at Lowell.

Musician and Teacher

As a freelance violist throughout this period, Paul played in many musical ensembles including such notable local orchestras as the Boston Philharmonic, to a range of lesser known ones in Bangor, Maine; Waterbury, Connecticut; Valdosta, Georgia; Springfield, Illinois; Greenville, South Carolina; and the Palm Beach Opera in Florida.

Paul has also played numerous performances of popular music for such diverse artists as Johnny Mathis, Smokey Robinson, Dionne Warwick and Marvin Hamlish.

He has accepted many students over the years but due to other commitments currently restricts his teaching to a small coterie of promising students. He is earned a reputation as an affable, passionate and dedicated teacher.

As an instrumentalist, Paul has always had a great enthusiasm for the intimacy of chamber music and was a founding member of two small chamber ensembles such as the Dover Quartet.

The Dover String Quartet was engaged by the Hartt School of Music to be the Quartet in Residence at its prestigious summer Conductor’s Institute. Paul himself was subsequently invited back for the next eight summers as the Institute’s resident principal violist.

Conductor: Boston Virtuosi

Over his years at the Conductor’s Institute, its director, Mr. Harold Faberman, observed Paul’s insight into the practice of orchestral conducting. He encouraged Paul to become a student at the Institute as a Conducting Colleague, which he did, and served in that capacity for two years.

When scheduling permits, Paul burgeoning interest in conducting continued. He studied with Mr. Kenneth Kiesler, returned from his second summer of studies at Kiesler’s renowned Conductor’s Retreat in Medomak, Maine.

Paul’s eventually endeavored to work the conductor's podium himself, becoming the musical director/conductor of a very talented group of musical professionals from the area who called themselves the Boston Virtuosi (BV). With Paul at the baton, the group performed standard works from the repertoire, plus some obscure and original pieces as well. The group performed to favorable revues at several venues in the greater Boston area.

Paul Dulude currently resides in Belmont, Massachusetts
with his beloved family, his wife Claudia, his son Paul André
and their dog Sally.